Brilliant
But im glad to say i could not have been more wrong. Company of Heroes is one of the best RTS games i have ever played in my long computer games career.
Taking a break from the idea of base building and massive number of units being the ultimate be all and end all of the game.
The balance between the many various unit types, and the population cap, as well as the idea of capturing resource points, makes brains and speed of thought vital to succeeding in the game. Add to that a solid AI and the various restrictions in what you can bring to the dance and you have a strategy game that really prizes strategy over style.
With the variation in styles of battle, from full blown assaults of french towns, to night time parachute drops behind enemy lines, you are constantly having to adapt and adjust the style of your attack to the situation in which you find yourself.
The game engine that Relic have come up with really makes you feel like you are part of the action, and that is even on my useless speakers. With destructible environments and varying levels of cover, the route you take on you offensive is just as important as any other factor you must take into consideration.
Overall the game is one of the best in years, and packs a lot of style and strategy into a market full of similar games.